Bob and Brady set out on the same business adventure. They both succeeded and in the shortest possible time had built mega brands. It happened, however, that Bob’s business crashed because some information was stolen from his database by hackers.
Brady never knew the actual reason why Bob’s business crashed and never made an effort to find out. In no time, hackers got to him and also sent him parking.
Too bad right?
You sure do not want to be a Brady. Hence, you are reading this blog post to find out how you can keep your mobile app alive on Google Play Store and not get kicked out of business like 700,000 bad Android apps were.
In 2017, we took down more than 700,000 apps that violated the Google Play policies, 70% more than the apps taken down in 2016. Not only did we remove more bad apps, we were able to identify and action against them earlier. In fact, 99% of apps with abusive contents were identified and rejected before anyone could install them.
— https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2018/01/how-we-fought-bad-apps-and-malicious.html
Google Vice president and Head of Security Dave Kleidermacher declared afterward that the chance of installing a malicious mobile app from the store is now at an all-time low 0.00006%.
But, that does not mean that Google will not be running checks in the near future.
Did you know that a lot of these apps were making money for its developers and businesses, but just in a twinkle of an eye, they vanished into thin air?
You would not like to wake up one morning to learn that your app has been shown the exit door on Google play store which records an amazing 8 billion monthly installs for Android users on average.
This graph from Statista also clearly shows that Google Play store has overtaken other global app stores including Apple’s App Store, thus, explaining the reason why every developer desperately wants their Android app on the store
6 Sure Ways to Keep Your App Alive On Google Play Store in 2018
1) Review Your App Before Google Does
It is very important that you review your Android app performance, either at the end of every day, week or at least month, to ensure that the numbers are doing pretty well.
A sharp decline in the number of downloads or views for your app could be a sign that there is a problem with your app, and this has been the beginning of the end for many apps that were deleted from the store, recently.
Flagged content on Google Play Store include apps that have any element of sexually explicit information, violence, racist, sensitive event, gambling, illegal activities, child endangerment or bully and harassment.
Hence, do well to review your Android app and ensure that they never feature any content that violates Play Store rules even by the slightest margin.
2) Invest in ASO
App store optimization (similar to search engine optimization) is a healthy way to get the highest conversion rate from app installs on the store any day.
It is a must for every Android app developer or marketer because;mobile apps that rank really high on the store have very low chances of getting kicked out.
Now, not all app developers are ASO experts, so it is important that you hire the right person for the job and also run monthly checks. ASO strategies also do not yield a quick result, just as SEO doesn’t and you can also use Google AdWords to get massive downloads for your mobile apps.
Here are a few things to look out for when optimizing your Android app.
Keywords: Just like we have it in SEO, it is also required to have your app name and description align with certain keywords. This invariably leads to more visibility when users search for an app using that particular keyword in the store. Title: Your android app should have a title that is easy to remember for even a first time user. The best combination is basically your brand name (only) or adding the primary purpose of the app. This routine is what we see in popular play store Android apps like Firefox Browser, Facebook Ads, Jotterpad Writer, EDX online course, WhatsApp Business, Ali Express Shopping, Grammarly Keyboard. Description and Metadata: This is actually what accounts for more visibility in search results, as well as, install conversions for your app. This field is limited to 4000 characters and should perfectly blend with simple and easy to read sentences - your keywords, brand name, app purpose, and to end with a clear call to action for users. A call to action leads to more installs. Featured app graphic: App icon, video, and in-app screenshots must also be designed to catch the attention of anyone who gets on your app page for the first time.3) Watch Out For Policy Violation Rules and Spyware
For every investment in ASO, it is also important that your Android app never violates any privacy rule for users.
Privacy violation could include using malicious ads to collect user data or simply not protecting data collected from your users.
In November 2017, UC Browser Android App was removed from the Play Store. This was for some app setting that violated Play Store policies, but they were back among the apps only a week later. They may have lost a huge fortune by staying out for a week, and you do not want that to happen to your business.
Also, 500 Android apps (Lucky Cash and Selfie City included) were all removed from Google Play Store in 2017 because of a spyware scare that even the mobile app developers probably were not aware of.
This is why it requires that you pay meticulous attention to even the simplest details when your mobile app is developed and even when it gets to the store.
4) Learn From Other Top Developers
There are basically two ways that you can carry this out.
The first method is by tracking successful competitor apps and closely taking note of what practices works best for them. It is not poke nosing or spying since they may already be doing the same, but you can call it that if you wish.
Since your mobile app is for a similar audience, what works for them is a lot likely to work for you. The good thing is, you could also tweak or reinvent their strategies to make them look incredibly better.
The second way that you can learn from other developers is by visiting Google’s top developer’s story page. On this free platform, the best developers in Google Play Store, share posts and videos which make clear what has worked for them and this definitely includes what you can do to keep your app alive on the play store.
It is a famous saying that, the best person that can teach you how to fish is a successful fisherman and not just anyone with baits and nets.
5) Quickly Respond to User Flag Off And Reviews
In the end, your app users have a lot to say about whether your app stays alive or not.
How many times have you installed an app with very negative reviews? I bet you may not have. I haven’t either.
Reviews on your app are an open poll for the vote of confidence. It hurts to get a 1-Star rating for an app you have worked so hard with your developer to send to the app market, while a 5-Star review will definitely get any developer smiling any day.
Do not get pissed off by low ratings and bad reviews especially if you just launched your app’s first version. Instead, using a quick and polite response such as:
Thanks for your feedback; we are working to make our app serve you better.
This is a simple measure that will save you the heartache of having your app review box littered with negative and poor reviews. Here are some reasons why:
Other users who may have wished to drop a negative review will likely notice that you are already doing something about their complaint. Also, quickly work with your developer towards providing solutions for critical user complaints, once you have assured them that you are on it. This practice improves branding. Take the time to carefully go through suggestions from app users, as they can sometimes provide useful insight on improvements that can be made to the next version of your app.Oh! I nearly forgot to add that when you receive accolades, promptly thank each user that leaves a positive review on your app page. That is what we live for!
6) Explore New Ways to Improve User Experience
Always look out for what can be added to improve your app and make it more appealing to users. This is an unending process and the reason behind new app versions that are released every day.
New improvement ranges from introducing new app functionalities, improving color, reducing the number of ads, tweaking ad placement or simply applying a suggestion from an honest app review.
The goal is to ensure that your app serves up a nice experience on almost any android device, or at least the most popular devices and give your users more power and reason to endorse your app for anyone.
3 More Reasons to Care
Now you may still be wondering if there are other reasons why you must sustain your mobile app’s existence in the store. Well, here are the best reasons why you must do that and even more:
1) Brand Visibility
If your mobile app represents your personal or business brand, then sustaining an existence on Google’s Play Store is one of the greatest avenues to get people to see you. In fact, your Android mobile app is a part of your business’s digital marketing efforts.
But, this goes both ways.
This simple marketing technique reinforces a client’s belief in how efficient and popular you are, and a sudden disappearance from the store might raise concerns in their mind.
The easy to scare folks among them might think that something has gone entirely wrong with your firm and this can drastically reduce your client base.
What is a business without clients?
In a simpler term, keeping your app alive keeps your brand alive in the mind of users and massively boosts business activities.
2) Business Growth
An Android mobile app is one of the easiest ways a client can stay in touch with your business and take simple actions such as placing an order, completing payment, locating your nearest brick store or getting updates about up and coming events, all from the comfort of their smartphone.
What happens to these fantastic engagement opportunities, if your app gets kicked out soon after?
Sorry, I did not mean to scare you, but this single development will not only stunt your business growth but can also eventually terminate it.
Since there are a lot of monetization techniques such as AdMob, in-app purchases, and subscription or even a 70% for a sold app, your business will miss out on this revenue sources if your app is shown the exit door.
Low ROI is not great for anyone, and it can get even worse.
3) Loosing To Competitors
Oh! This does not sound good at all.
But, getting sent home by Google Play Store can simply give your competitors, the green light to hop in and take over your clients, from right under your nose. You surely know that those guys are always looking over your shoulder and are waiting for the tiniest opportunity to pounce.
Now, you don’t want to even dream of that happening. Therefore, you need to sustain your android app’s existence on Google’s Play Store.
Rounding Up
Remember Brady at the onset?
His business may have been saved if he got to know what happened to Bob earlier. But that information may also have been useless if Brady had failed to implement them.
Now you know what to do to keep your app alive on Google Play Store, do work on them simultaneously and your app will survive Google’s next check, the next and you will continue to get maximum value from your Android app.
Innovative SEO services
SEO is a patience game; no secret there. We`ll work with you to develop a Search strategy focused on producing increased traffic rankings in as early as 3-months.
A proven Allinclusive. SEO services for measuring, executing, and optimizing for Search Engine success. We say what we do and do what we say.
Our company as Semrush Agency Partner has designed a search engine optimization service that is both ethical and result-driven. We use the latest tools, strategies, and trends to help you move up in the search engines for the right keywords to get noticed by the right audience.
Today, you can schedule a Discovery call with us about your company needs.
Source:
